, 1887-09-30

| bNF-oAhC thN , Ob AGtl oOlCl1 HlICNCu IL
you were o to be present tomorrow"
"Ah, yes-where is Grace?-I had for
gotten Grace!'' the young man re-
sponded, hurriedly. Il want to see her
i have my wedding gift ready for her,
and l a to present it to her myself"
Go into the library, then, and 1 will
send her to you in a moment. She is
just having her wedding dress tried on
for the last time, and l will tell her not
to take it off, for l want you to see how
Charmingly she looks in it."
And with a nod and a smile Mrs. Mars
den disappeared.
Some ten minutes later the door of the
library, where Louis was pacing the
floor impatlently, was slowly opened,
and the ~bride-elect, graceful and charm
ing in her vesture of snowy satin, with a
mien of grave, sweet maidenliness, adj
vanced with outstretched hands to greet
the newly returned wanderer. BE gazed
upon her for a moment with a lowering
brow and a bitter smile.
$50 it Is thus that I find you, woman
hat l loved, - ne said between his teeth,
''on the eve of your marriage, all radiant
and smiling in your bridal fineryl"
"Cousin-Cousin Louisl'' stammered
She young girl, amazed and half alarmed
at SG;lDrOOk S QeIneanOr.
''Oh, you need not be afraid have
not come to overwhelm you with re-
proaches or to tell you all the i'll that you
have wrought, my cousin Grace. I have
brought you a present from beyond the
seas. Take it, and with it such blessings
from me as you and your kinsfolk richly
deserve"
So saying, he turned towards the table,
| and lrp,tnhf fnryrorl fD tho Ifnlf M ;,O-,x
casket that stood there, still half shrouded
in its wrappings. Divested of these, it
showed in the sunset light as u marvel OF
artistic beauty. In high relief upon the
lid was carved the meeting of Bacchus
and Ariadne, and the sides were adorned
with a representation of the bridal pro-
cession of the god, wherein bacchantes
and satyrs, nymphs and fauns, and cupids
and panthers, were all mingled in grace
full confusion. The mountings of the
casket were in antique silver, and on a
shield just above the lock were engraved
the intertwined initials &c. B." and be-
low these a ''V." surmounted with q
ducal coronet, the insignia of Caesar
Borgia, Duke of Valentinois." 1t was a
gift worthy to be offered by an enamored
monarch to his future queen.
Grace drew near and gazed with breath
less delight at the exquisite workmanship
of the ivory carvings. Meantime Louis
took from his pocketbook an antique key
in darkened silver. This, too, was a YER
table work of art. The tube was held
in the appraised hands Of a mermaid,
whose curved fishtail formed the handle
of the key. This handle on its outer edge
was bordered with small, scarcely per-
ceptiblc points or spines, which would be
apt to wound the hand of any one trying
to open the lock and not warned to take
due precautions. This key Louis care
fully fitted into the lock of the casket.
"Open it-open it, Gracei" he cried,
with feverish eagerness. within you
will find inclosed a necklace of the
choicest pearls to be found in all Paris.
Open it-open it, and tell me what you
think of my wedding presents"
But without touching the key the
young girl glided forward, and, resting
her clasped hands on the lid of the casket,
she looked into the dark, troubled depths
of her cousins eyes with q tender seri-
business in her glance that caused him to
turn pale and to look aside.
Dear Cousin Louis, " she said, ''you
have brought me q magnificent gift, but
do not think me exacting or ungrateful
IL L uSh yOu lOE bOLUGlul1R LnOTe. lou
know l am going out tomorrow to a new
life, and l want to take with me all the
kindly thoughts and affections Of those
who loved me when 1 was a little child.
You feel bitterly toward us all, I know,
because l could not love you better than
I have done-just as I have loved my
brothers. 1t will cast a shadow on the
brightness of my wedding day if I think
you are still displeased with my parents,
and still feel unkindly toward me. Dear
Cousin Louis -m brother Louis = in
memory of our old pleasant days together,
will you not grant me my request Take
back your lovely casket and your neck
lace of pearls, and give me instead your
frank, brotherly affection once more"
He fixed his dark, burning eyes on the
soft blue mes raised SO p~leadingly to his
own.
$50 you will not open the casket,
Grace?" he said, hoarsely.
"Not till you promise to grant me my
request. All, Louis, have you forgotten
all those days when we were children to-
gether, and Little Cousin Grace used to
pet you and watch over you and keep her
boisterous brothers from teasing you?
You were always very dear to me, Louis
be my dear brother once again and
always"
Still gazing fxedly upon her, he drew
the casket toward him, unlocked ii, threw
back the lid and withdrew the key. He
held up his hand with its open palm
turned toward Grace as he did SO, and
the astonished girl could see upon it one
or two minute drops of blood caused by
the punctures of the points on the handle
of the key.
Take your casket and your pearls,
Grace, and with them my full forgive
ness. You do not know what good SER
vice l have done you today. l have
swept from your path a bitter and a
dangerous foe. Did you ever read Vic
tor Hugo's 'Esmeralda?' There are four
lines in an old translation of that poem
which are now ringing in my brain:
Mine be the tomb and thine be light and life.
die, and fate avenges thee. It's well.
/ go, o angel of my life, to learn
II heav'n is sweet as were thy love. Fare
we'll"
So saying, he took Grace's head in both
his hands, kissed her tenderly on the fore
head and departed.
Aweek later the community was electri-
fed by the news of the sudden death of
young Louis Seabrook, who succumbed to